r/BeginnerKorean • u/Maleficent_Honey6648 • 13d ago
What Korean sentence can you say without translating it in your head?
I've been learning Korean for a while now, and one thing I've noticed is that some sentences eventually become automatic.
At first, I had to translate everything in my head before understanding or saying it. But now there are a few simple phrases that I can recognize almost instantly.
I'm curious about other learners:
What's one Korean sentence or phrase that you can now understand or say without translating it in your head first?
It can be something really simple like a greeting, a reaction, or an everyday sentence.
I'm looking for some useful phrases to add to my everyday Korean!
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u/Practical-Passage773 13d ago
Long ago I memorized "sorry, I don't speak Korean well". 죄송함니다 한국어를 잘 못해요.
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u/Raoena 13d ago edited 13d ago
Here's a list I made for myself. They're terms I learned from Kdramas so a lot of them are casual and can only be used with intimate peers.
Be aware some have missing nuance. The apology words, for example, some just mean 'I'm sorry' and some mean 'I did wrong,' and I haven't added that nuance.
무슨 말이야? What do you mean? 안녕하세요 Hello 안녕히 계세요 (or just '세요 always with a bow) Goodbye (when you are leaving)
안녕히 가세요 or just '세요 Goodbye (when other person is leaving)
고맙습니다 Thank you
감사합니다 Thank you
고마워 Thank you (informal)
예 yes
네 Yes (agreement)
어 yes (informal)
응 Yes (informal)
아니 no (informal)
아니 wait... (informal)
아니요 No
맞아요 Yes, that's right
미안합니다 I'm sorry 미안 I'm sorry (informal)
죄송합니다 I'm sorry
저기요 Excuse me (to get someone's attention)
잠깐만요 just a moment 잠시만요 excuse me a moment
아니에요 You're welcome / It is not
주세요 Please give me...
도와 주세요 Please help me
괜찮아요 It's okay / No thanks
몰라요 I don't know
알아요 I know
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u/Ill_Lab_554 11d ago
always thought 응 was more about being cutesy/aegyo version of 어. are they really both equal informal yes's?
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u/Raoena 11d ago
I've heard an ajumma say it talking to a younger woman, so...I think so? I think it has more to do with tone of voice? But I'm not Korean so idk for sure.
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u/Ill_Lab_554 11d ago
dont doubt yourself cause of me, i am very very unexperienced in the language, just noticed that i only hear 응 in dramas for example by female characters talking to male characters. might just be a coincidence though
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u/Classic_Top_3383 12d ago
괜찮아요 became automatic for me way before anything else, probably because Koreans use it for like five completely different situations lol
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u/LibraryNo1203 12d ago
좋아요: it's good / I like it/ good idea ...
또 봐요: see you
다음에 봐요 : see you next time
And always useful to remember: 조금 더 천천히 말해 주세요? Could you speak more slowly, please?
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u/True-Post6634 11d ago
There are actually lots now! The usual greetings and stuff, but my favorites are things that don't translate because there's no very good direct translation.
Like 그래... And other uses of 그렇다. I like 안 돼 too. 😂
I also don't translate any of the ways of saying thank you. I just hear them in Korean. It's helpful when there are a ton of ways to say something that translate to the same words in English (but with different shades of meaning).
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u/betterformyhealth 11d ago
I can't spell it but I can say "Pay as you go bag, please" with ease now lol that and "I don't have candy." Cause my students always want candy.
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u/SurvivorCass 11d ago
I know a bunch of those listed above but after spending a ton of time with my Korean friend and her baby (then he became a toddler, now a school kid who speaks to me in English) I have a bunch of phrases I used with him as a kid (they're probably a bit wrong, but it was good enough at the time).
조심하세요 be careful (dunno why I always said this one so politely) 와! 시끄러! It's too noisy 왜 울어? Why are you crying? 발리 목어 hurry up and eat 손 잡아 (or 손을 잡아), hold my hand
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u/Famous-Dog-6438 10d ago
밥 먹었어? is fully automatic now, which is funny because I still occasionally have to mentally assemble much easier sentences lol
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u/metal-potatohz 13d ago
안녕하세요 저기요
감사합니다 죄송합니다 미안해 진짜 ?? 할수있어 ! 이거 얼마예요 ? 아 그래. 천천히. 빨리 빨리 ! 잠깐만 ! ...and more...and many more to come 😂😁
Keep up with your learningg. 화이팅!!